Nonrefillable device



Dec. 5, 1933. J. P. BURKE NONREFILLABLE DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1952 :I: /5 :5 /5 m Mb Patented Dec. 5, 1933 PATENT OFFICE 1,938,063 NONREFILLABLE DEVICE James P. Burke, Wayne, 'N. J., assignor to Auto- Mold, Inc., of Knoxville, Tenn., a corporation of Delaware Application September 29, 1932 Serial No. 636,171

Claims.

This invention relates to nonrefillable devices. One object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described having improved nonrefillable means including a closure 5 having a frangible portion and adapted for limited angular movement, arranged so that an axial force is exerted on the closure as a result of said movement, to break the frangible portion and permit removal of the closure means.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved nonreflllable closure including a plurality of members individually connected to a container and interconnected with each other or otherwise restricted as to movelfi'ment, according to an arrangement such that the closure cannot be removed from the container except by breaking the closure at or near the point of interconnection between the members.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved device having relatively few and. simple parts, which are inexpensive to mold, manufacturev and assemble, and which are .com-

pact and neat in appearance, durable, reliable,

and emcient in use to a high degree.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated on the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several view's.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation with parts in section showing an embodiment of the invention.

40 Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical elevation with parts in section of a device in course of manufacture.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation with parts in section showing a modification of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view thereof.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and 5 the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be' obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is

REISSUED submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Generally described, this invention provides a closure of such nature that it cannot be removed except by breaking the same, and the invention 3 is applicable to containers, tubular devices and other receptacles. The utility of the invention may be especially noted in connection with nonrefillable closures. The invention may include a closure member and a sealing member coacting 5 therewith as by extending thereover, but generally speaking, a closure means is provided having a frangible portion and connected to the container by guides, threads or cams, and so arranged as to have or be adapted to have a lim- 7o ited angular movement, if desired, preventing removal of the closure means, but sufficient to cause exertion of a force in a suitable direction, preferably axially, so as to cause breakage of the frangible portion and permit removal of the closure. It is preferred that a broken or de-' formed portion shall remain in engagement with the container or closure for indicating that the container has been opened. The closure may be slidable for connection along any suitable path, so and the axial force may be created by reaction against any desired part of the container closure unit. For illustrating a specific embodiment of the invention, the closure and sealing members may be individually connected to the container along similar paths or paths of different or even opposite directions, and one of the members may have a frangible portion or a yielding portion associated therewith, the members being interconnected at or adjacent to the frangible or yielding portions against inter-relative axial movement, except on causing exertion of a force sufiicient to break the frangible or yielding part. By centrally forming the interconnection between the members, the operation of assembling the closure is facilitated, and the sealing member can be turned to some degree without turning the closure member; while if the members are movable, if at all, in different directions, a wedging or jamming action can be obtained, militating against removal of the closure, except that the breakage of the frangible portion may occur in the manner described.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a device embodying the invention. This may include a container 11 of any suitable material such as glass, having a neck 12 that may have suitable engagement means such as threaded portions 13, 14, the latter being of difierent position or diameter and'preferably larger than th 116 former. The thread at 14 may be sumciently short to constitute in effect a cam or inclined guide means, but these terms are used as equivalents herein.

Connected on the portion 13 is a closure member 15 of any generally conventional construction, and which may have an internal sealing liner disc 16 if desired. The closure member 15 may also have a central engagement projection or pin 17, such as an eyelet, for instance, that can be connected or headed over to form a permanent connection.

Coacting with closure member 15 is a sealing member 18 which may be variously coordinated with the closure member as by extending thereover. This sealing member may be in the form of a cap or the like, and may have a threaded" or cam portion for engagement with the portion 14. Preferably the end wall 19 of the sealing member may lie closely against or alongside of the corresponding end wall of the closure member 20, and it may have a central end opening 21 for receiving the projection 17. A part of the closure means, or one of the members 15, 18 may have a deformable or frangible portion, and preferably the sealing member may be provided with an annular recess 22 extending around the connecting projection or in spaced relation thereto, while the projection may be headed over at 23 on the part of the sealing member in proximity to or within the recess.

The closure and sealing members may be made of any suitable materials, such as metal, or composition materials, while the projection 17 is preferably metal moulded into the closure member 15.

The thread at 14 may have a different or larger pitch than thethread for the closure member, and said threads may be right and left hand threads if desired. Hence any turning movement of the sealing'member that might be communicated to the closure member could not be used to open the closure. If the pin 1'7 is mounted in a swiveled manner, said threads may also extend in the same direction and have the same pitch.

To assemble the device, the closure member 15 is screwed tight, and then the sealing member 18 is screwed home, the projection 17 passing through hole 21. Then the projection is headed over by pressure or spinning and the device is complete.

To open the device, the sealing member may be turned in a right hand direction, creating an axial tension on the locking means 17 and causing a fracture along the recess 22. The sealing member can then be removed and discarded, but the portion 24 may remain permanently connected to the closure member and indicate that the bottle has been opened.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a modification of the invention which may be in all respects similar to that hereinbefore described, except that the closure means 25 has associated therewith a member adapted to overlie the line of fracture so as to prevent a persons hand from being scratched or cut thereby. For example, a plate like element 26 may be centrally secured by the projection 17 when the same is headed over. This element 26 may extend over the recess 22a, and may consist of metal. Preferably a transparent material such as celluloid or the like is employed so as to render the line of fracture clearly visible, and the recess 22a may be deepest at its inner periphery so that the fracture may occur there. By making the element 26 resilient and cup shaped, it will thus be assured of moving downward and enclosing around the line of fracture. The resilience and degree of fiexure may be enhanced by radially slotting the element at 27.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawing, andthat the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device including a container having a closure member, a sealing member over the closure member, the sealing member having a frangible portion, said members being positively connected with the container so as to be individually differently movable relative thereto, said members being snugly interconnected to prevent any movement of either relative to the container except on breaking the frangible portion, and so that a force applied for opening the sealing member tends to increase the closing action of the closure member.

2. A device including a container having a closure member, and means including a sealing member thereover, the sealing member being connected to the closure member and threaded to the container, said means having a portion that is adapted to give way under a force applied 1 to the sealing member so as to release the latter from connection with the closure member.

3. A nonrefillable closure device including a container, and means including a closure member for the container and a sealing member ex- 1 tending over the closure member to prevent removal thereof, said members having interconnecting means including means for individually connecting the members to the container to prevent removal of the sealing member from the con- 1 tainer, the sealing member having a frangible portion whereby a portion of the sealing member can be removed from the container to permit removal of the closure member, and said means acting between the container and sealing member being actuable for causing an axial breaking force to be exerted on the frangible portion.

4. A device including a container and closure means therefor having a portion threadedly connected with the container and a cooperating 1 means acting in the direction of the axis of the closure means for preventing angular movement of said portion so that a force is exerted on the said portion in the axial direction by subjecting said portion to an angular force, said closure means having a frangible portion adapted to be broken by said axial force.

5. A device including a container and closure means therefor having a portion threadedly connected with the container and a cooperating means acting in the direction of the axis of the closure means for preventing angular movement of said portion so that a force is exerted on the said portion in the axial direction by subjecting said portion to a torque, said portion having an different directions to each other for connection between along said angle,

with the container, and the members being in terconnected with each other so that the loci;- ing portions cannot be released and the mem= bers removed from the container except on breaking the frangible portion.

"l. A device including a container, and means inclu a closure member, and a sealing member thereover, the difi'erent members being individually connected to the container by means of right and left hand threads respectively, said means having a portion releasably interconnecting the members to prevent removal thereof from the container.

8. A device including a container, a closure member, a sealing member, the different members being individually connected to the container by means of right and left hand threads respectively, and a central element interconnecting the members against removal thereof from the container, the sealing member having an annular frangible portion extending around the central element whereby the seal memher is broken on exerting a suflicient torque thereon.

9. A device including a container, a closure member, a sealing member, the members being portion at the point of interconnection between the members so that the interconnection between the main parts of the members can be broken on appl a sumcient torque to a member.

10. A device having a container neck, closure means includim a closure member extend= ing along thev neck, a sealing member over the closure member, the sealing member being connected to the container neck along a line at an angle to the axis of the latter; means interconnecting the members to prevent movement there- :11, a frible portion whereby the sealing member can be released. I ii. A device inclu a coner having a closure member and a sealing member individually threadedly connected to the container, said members being axially interconnected and one of the members having a frangible portion in proximity to the point of interconnection for releasing the interconnection between the members.

12. A device including a container, a closure member therefor, a sealing member over the closure member, the sealing member having a frangible portion, means axially interconnecting the frangible portion and the closure member to hold the members against interrelative axial movement, and means individually connecting said members to the container so that the sealin'g member cannot be removed except by breaking the frangible portion.

13. A device including a plurality of coaxial closure elements having axially interconnected wall portions lying alongside of each other, the

. outer element having a weakened portion spaced from the axis, and shield means extending over the weakened portion.

M. A device including a container, and closure means therefor including a closure member and a sealing member, said members having connecting portions extending at diflerent angles to effect connection with the container and the members being connected with each other so that the connecting portions are held against movement along said difierent angles, and one of the members having a frangible portion, for the purpose set forth.

15. A. device including a container and closure means including a closure member, a sealing member thereover, and means associated with the members and the container and having portions for interconnecting the members with the container, said portions extending along diflerent angles and coacting for wedging interaction her being held against movement in co-operation with the closure member to cause saidwedging action, and the sealing member having a frangible portion for releasing the sealing member. JAMES P. BURKE.

along said different angles, the sealing memr 

